Lamborghini Miura and McLaren F1 Share Best of Show in Salon Privé FirstMotoriousElizabeth PuckettFri, September 25, 2026 at 12:30 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleFor the first time in its 21-year history, the Salon Privé Concours at Blenheim Palace handed out two Best of Show trophies instead of one. A 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S from the RLC Collection took the traditional Concours d'Elégance, while Terry Bramall's 1995 McLaren F1 became the first-ever winner of the event's new Concours d'Excellence, an award created specifically for modern supercars and hypercars.The split format is a clear acknowledgment of where the collector market is heading. Salon Privé added new limited-edition supercar and hypercar classes this year, and organizers wanted those cars judged on their own terms rather than squeezed into a field built around pre-war coachwork and 1960s grand tourers. It's a fitting cap to a week that opened with Lamborghini, Brabus, and Polestar UK debuts and an electric Rolls-Royce and a new hypercar on the palace lawns.The 1995 McLaren F1 (left) and 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S (right) shared Best of Show honors. Photo courtesy of Salon Privé.A Four-Year Restoration Pays Off for the MiuraThe Miura competed in a class titled The Italian Job – 60 Years of the Lamborghini Miura, fitting timing given that Sant'Agata has been marking the anniversary all year, including with a limited Revuelto homage to the Miura. It wasn't an easy class to win, either; another Miura P400 S, owned by Richard Moat, finished as runner-up.AdvertisementAdvertisementOwner Amir Ravan credited Tom Hartley Junior and his team, who spent four years restoring the car. Ravan described himself as a custodian of the Miura rather than just its owner, and called Marcello Gandini's design a turning point in automotive history that still feels special nearly six decades on.Salon Privé co-founder and Chairman Andrew Bagley pointed to the car's presence and proportions, noting the amount of care that went into preserving and presenting this particular example.The McLaren F1 Makes History AgainBramall's F1 ran in the Poster Cars – Icons from Our Youth class before being named the finest modern collector car on the grounds. It's been a big summer for Gordon Murray's masterpiece, which also led RM Sotheby's to a record Monterey weekend in GTR form.Judges inspect Terry Bramall's 1995 McLaren F1, the first Concours d'Excellence winner. Photo courtesy of Salon Privé.Bagley called the F1 a landmark in supercar history and a fitting first recipient of the new award. Bramall, for his part, said he was thrilled and overwhelmed, and shared the credit with Murray and restoration specialists Lanzante.AdvertisementAdvertisementModern cars were judged using the M100 system, a 100-point framework built for contemporary collector cars. Instead of leaning on originality the way traditional concours judging does, it's designed to evaluate today's engineering and design. If you've ever wondered how that side of things works, we broke down what concours judges actually look for. The judging panel was led by Chief Judge Nigel Matthews and Assistant Chief Judge Chris Kramer over two days of competition starting September 2.Runners-Up and Other Notable AwardsBilly Hibbs' Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo by Vignale was runner-up for the Concours d'Elégance, while Gregor Piech's Porsche 918 Coupé Sonderwunsch took runner-up in the Concours d'Excellence. The Chairman's Award went to Jane Dyke's Porsche Pre-A Speedster by Reutter, and Bill and Nichole Lyon's Duesenberg SJ Speedster by Gurney Nutting earned Most Exceptional Coachwork.About 70 cars competed across 12 classes. Among them were a Bugatti EB110 Prototype, the Aston Martin Valiant Prototype, a Bizzarrini 5300GT, and a Lamborghini Sián FKP 37 Prototype 1. The 2025 Rimac Nevera Time Attack also made history as the first fully electric car to compete in the Salon Privé Concours.Class winners included:AdvertisementAdvertisementClass A: Mercedes-Benz 630K Drophead Coupé Sport Touring by Thomas Harrington (Nick Schorsch)Class B: Arnolt-Bristol Deluxe (Peter McGough)Class C: Pegaso Z-102 Touring Coupé (Bob Bishop)Class D: Maserati 3500GT Spyder Prototipo by Vignale (Billy Hibbs)Class E: Porsche 356 Split Window Coupé by Reutter (Shazad Malik)Class F: Aston Martin DB3S (Sebastian Vettel)Class G: Lamborghini Miura P400 S (RLC Collection)Class H: Porsche 356 B Cabriolet by Gläser (Martin Block)Class I: Ferrari 212 Coupé Speciale by Ghia (Dennis Garrity)Class J: McLaren F1 (Terry Bramall)Class K: Porsche 918 Coupé Sonderwunsch (Gregor Piech)Class L: Bugatti Bolide (Michael Korecky)Next Stop: Peninsula Classics Best of the BestOne of the two Best of Show cars will go on to the Peninsula Classics Best of the Best in January 2027, facing winners from Villa d'Este, Cavallino Classic, The Quail, and other top concours around the world, including the Horch 855 Special Roadster that won Concours of Elegance Germany. Whether it's the Miura or the F1 that gets the nod, Salon Privé's first double crowning has already made its point: the collector car world now has room at the top for both.⚡️ Read the full article on MotoriousSign up for the Motorious Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
+46 others
